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June 2009 

Every day, extraordinary progress continues to be made toward our mission of elevating the quality of early care and education for all children. We continue to establish new partnerships focusing on how young children think and learn as well as engage national foundations and business leaders on the critical role of policy in improving the quality of early education. We are the recipients of ongoing visits from early education advocates, anxious to learn more about our work here in Miami while, of course, continuing to deliver trainings for parents, educators, and early care providers. The following are some Center highlights of the last few months:

U. S. Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen visits Center

U. S. Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen toured the Center to learn more about the innovative work being done to elevate the quality of early care and education in her very own district and across the nation. The Congresswoman interacted with teachers in the Demonstration School classrooms. We are honored to have hosted the Congresswoman at the Center and feel confident that she will serve as an important ally on federal early childhood issues.

 
CBS 4 showcases the Center as the model for high quality

The Center and its vice president, Gladys Montes, were featured in a CBS4 investigative report focusing on what quality early care and education should look like. This is the second time CBS4 has chosen the Center as its exemplar of quality for the community, validating our commitment and success in serving as a model for observation and implementation of best practices.

University of Miami Frost School of Music partners with Center on expansion of early childhood music program

Key Center staff met with University of Miami Frost School of Music Dean ‘Shelly” Berg and faculty of both the School of Music and School of Education to discuss the groundbreaking expansion of U-Move, a literacy-based music curriculum for all children birth through six years of age. The Center is participating in the adaptation and first-time implementation of the program for use in the early years in addition to contributing to a research study regarding the effectiveness of the U-Move program in early care and education.

Kellogg Foundation hosts conference at Center

Participants of W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Learning Labs Initiative visited the Center as part of a conference focusing on improving the health, education, and well-being of society’s most vulnerable children. We are so pleased to have had the opportunity to align ourselves with yet another likeminded organization and feel confident that these growing partnerships will be invaluable in accomplishing our mission of elevating the quality of early care and education through improved policies for young children.

Implementation of Bounce Learning Network’s Educare program continues

The Bounce Learning Network (a joint effort of the Buffett Early Childhood Fund and the Ounce of Prevention Fund) visited the Center in order to provide training to Center staff and to review the current status of the Center’s implementation of the Educare model. Each Educare Center in the growing, nationwide Bounce Learning Network provides the quality care and early education to infants, toddlers, preschoolers and their families that science shows is needed to narrow the student achievement gap for students in high-risk communities.  Educare Centers also serve as a platform for broader change, inspiring better quality programs throughout the community, more effective public policies. The Center is the Bounce Learning Network’s sixth Educare center in the country.

Quality-based training and workshops continue to grow and attract members of the community

The Center continues to provide a broad array of educational opportunities for parents, educators, and providers in Miami-Dade and beyond. Through capacity building workshops, hundreds of training opportunities, and by guiding a number of providers through accreditation processes, we are making great strides in our work to elevate the quality of early care and education. In addition to having provided on-site training to over 4,000 adults this past year, attendance for all training, particularly offerings for parents, is on the rise.

Women leaders from around the nation come together in support of early childhood education

Women Leaders from around the nation came together to tour the Center and take part in a dinner kicking off United Way of America’s 2009 Women’s Leadership Summit. United Way of Miami-Dade’s own Women’s Leadership group has been a vital supporter of the Center having underwritten the children’s library, “Storyville”, in addition to advocating on behalf of early care and education issues in Washington and Tallahassee.

Alberto Ibarguen, Knight Foundation, visits Center

Alberto Ibarguen, president and CEO of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, visited the Center to see firsthand some of the great progress that has been made since its opening. The Knight Foundation provided some of the initial support that allowed the Center to come to life. We look forward to continuing to share many future achievements with our many partners without whom, none of the Center’s successes would be possible.

Center models quality for others in the community

Representatives from Urban Strategies, an organization focused on rebuilding the physical and human infrastructure of redeveloping urban communities, brought prospective partners to the Center in order to introduce quality program and service options in early care and education. The Center is thrilled to continue to serve as a model to organizations looking for quality programming that can be replicated throughout the community.

Second year Visible Thinking exhibit is displayed

The second exhibit surrounding Visible Thinking, a research-based approach to learning created from over 30 years of research by Harvard University’s Graduate Program in Education, was completed and put on display in the Center’s gallery. Visible Thinking is a teaching tool that helps children communicate their thought process through pictures and creates cultures of thinking in classrooms. The exhibit highlights student projects derived from Visible Thinking teaching strategies implemented and modeled in Demonstration School classrooms.

CNN films Chef Lorena Garcia cooking with the kids at the Center

Lorena Garcia, one of the country’s leading Latina chefs, visited the Center for a second time to engage children in the Miami-Dade community in her “Big Chef, Little Chef” program which helps kids and their families take control of their eating habits and ultimately, their lives. CNN filmed the cooking demonstration as part of a segment they are producing on successful Latina women in which Chef Lorena will be featured.

As always, we appreciate your continued advice and counsel as we work together on this important mission.  Remember, the Center is always open to receive visitors - if you have yet to visit the Center or know someone who should, please contact us at (305) 646-7100.